Corrugated fastener



March 18, 1941. M. A. RAMEY CORRUGATED FASTENER File June 10, 19159 W 6 a W/ /l/l/l/IV/l y. z i

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Patented Mar. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE" 2,235,300 CORRUGATED FASTENER Michael A. Ramey, Kansas City, Kans. Application June 10, 1939, Serial No. 278,440

2 Claims.

My invention relates to corrugated fasteners designed for securing abutting ends of wood.

Corrugated fasteners made of sheet metal, having sharpened edges, have long been known to the art. These corrugated fasteners act to a degree as a knife, cutting the wood. Frequently, if used near the side of a piece of wood, a chunk will be split from the wood. After they have been embedded in the wood for a period of time, the tendency of the corrugated fasterers of the prior art is to work loose. This is due largely to the large amount of wood which they displace.

One object of my invention is to provide a corrugated fastener which will displace less wood than the fasteners of the prior art.

Another object of my invention is to provide a corrugated fastener which will, when driven into a piec of wood, automatically lock itself in position so that there is no danger of its working loose.

Other and further objects of my invention will appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawing which forms part of the instant specification and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views;

Figure 1 is a wood joint formed of two pieces of i wood held in position by corrugated fasteners of my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on a line 2-2 of Figure 1.;

Figure 3 is-an elevation of a corrugated fastener made in accordance with my invention.

Figure 4 is an end view of the corrugated fastener shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on a line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on a line 6-6 of Figure 3.

In general, my invention contemplates the formation of a corrugated fastener having bifurcated flutes or convolutions.

More particularly referring now to the drawing, the corrugated fastener comprises a plurality of corrugations l formed in a metal strip .2. Each flute of the corrugated strip is formed with a reentrant portion 3, forming a pair of prongs I and 5. The reentrant portion 3 extends upwardly at least half of the height of the fastener inorder to minimize the amount of wood displaced and to reduce the cutting action or shearing action of the fastener, as well as to permit easy deformation of the prongs which are formed. Prong 4 is provided with a flattened portion 6 and prong 5 is formed with a flattened portion 1, facing flattened portion 6. It will be obverved by reference to Figures 2 and 3 that the amount of wood displaced by my fastener is less than that of the fasteners of the prior art by the metal removed to form the reentrant portions 3. The reentrant portions, furthermore, are formed so that the points 9 and ill of the prongs 4 and 5 are spaced a further distance from each other than the side walls of the upper part of the reentrant portions 3. In other words, th sides of the reentrant portions taper.

The arrangement is such that, when a corrugated fastener, according to my invention, is driven into a piece of wood, the flattened portions 6 and 'I and the tapered form of the reentrant portions cause adjacent prongs of the fastener to diverge. This actioncan readily be seen by reference to Figure 2 in which a piece of wood ll having a mitered edge and abutting a piece duced amount of wood is displaced, thus minimizing the danger of splitting or otherwise marring the work. The spreading or divergingrof the prongs of my corrugated fastener automatically clinches the fastener in the wood and avoids all danger of the fastener working loose.

It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other'features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of my claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of my claims without departing fromthe spirit of my invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. A corrugated fastener including in combination a metal strip having a plurality of flutes,

- each of said flutes having a reentrant portion forming a plurality of prongs, said prongs being pointed, said reentrant portions tapering inwardly in an upward direction, the walls of said reentrant portions above the prong points being provided with flattened surfaces, the construction being such that, upon driving said fastener into wood, the adjacent prongs will be forced outwardly to clinch the fasteners in the wood.

2. A corrugated fastener including in combination a metal strip having a. plurality of flutes, each of said flutes being provided with a reenm trant portion extending upwardly at least half aaaaaoo the height of the fastener and forming a plurality or prongs, said prongs being formed with sharpened points, said reentrant portions tapering inwardly in an upward direction and having adjacent sides thereof formed with flattened surfaces, the construction being such that adjacent prongs will be forced outwardly upon the driving' of the fastener into a piece of wood to clinch the fastener in driven position.

MICHAEL A. RAMEY. 

